The Visitor

[jeremypowell]

Am I the only one who's curious about that glowing floating geometrical object?

[ckmoak]

Isn't it just the explodey crystal thingie from Conqueror Worm? I think that's what it is. I'd be super excited if it was a different kind of glowing floating geometrical object.

[middenway]

Mike Mignola's variant cover...

[topfueluhl]

I love that cover, I wish I could get my hands on one.

[middenway]

Interview with Chris Roberson and preview of #1.

[terence]

Looks great! I've liked Paul Grist's "Jack Staff" and "Mud Man". I like the Mignola-esque touch he has added to his own idiosyncratic art style. Really looking forward to this.

[Kirby101]

I just saw the preview, still not loving the art work, a little too simplistic and cartoony for me. That type of work takes a big talent, like Darwyn Cooke or Bruce Timm to pull it off.
Maybe I'll warm up to it when I read the book.

[Joker]

Well?

I thought this was alright. It's mostly scenes we've already seen, cutting to a panel of The Visitor being there in the shadows. Which, fine, that's exactly what this book said it would be, but we didn't really get much in the way of what The Visitor was thinking, just that he was physically present.

The real problem for me was basically retelling The Nature of the Beast in a truncated shot for shot remake. Dialog and all. (actually, feels like 90% of the dialog is all old dialog) It's fine up to a point, but Grist didn't need to redraw the entire fight. We've seen that and Mignola did it right the first time. You're not improving that story, and you're not adding anything to it except a few shots of The Visitor being there... and then a few sentences at the end basically saying what he said at the fucking beginning of the issue. That was frustratingly dumb.

I dunno, I think the poor execution of a good idea let it fall down a bit. Half the book is a cover band. Half the book is good. But if this is five issues of just retelling **** Mignola already did, I don't see the point. I hope the next issue spends more time on the why stayed, instead of simply that he stayed and observed silently.

[seusilva]

I liked the issue - remind me Hellboy in Hell with Hellboy with the B.P.R.D.
Like Joker said above, it's not revolutionary or really diferent from the original story on this first issue, but i think things will start to get interesting next month.
The art is amazing!

[zerodemon]

So yes, a slightly frustrating amount of repetition with art that wasn't as nice as the original stories, and we didn't learn anything new really, barring that the visitor could return after one rotation... which is pretty nebulous. One rotation of what? That said we now know how and why he stayed. No surprises, but we know have three and a half issues of surprises until we get to Hunte Castle. I just wish this first one could've skipped showing us what we already knew and got into the meat a bit faster.

[Joker]

Yeah, wheel spinning. This exact same story could have taken half the issue if they'd done smaller panels. I mean, I like the art and layouts, but like, in the first 7 pages we know why he stayed. You gave us the tag line of the series right there. Then nothing...

it'll be fine if the next issues do something other than replay scenes from comics we've read, but this wasn't the best start to what I thought could (still) be a really cool series.

[Kirby101]

My trepidation about the art was well founded. It was alright but weak by HB standards. This was particularly apparent in the fight with the dragon. Too cartoony, to simplistic. If this was drawn by Ferfredo or Harren it would be a dynamic denouement.
Instead it was as others said, a soft retread of better HB books.

[matt levin]

Interesting comment by Joker; but for me, I've mostly read only the Hellboy stories, not many of the 'additional' titles (BPRD for one) at all, so for me, all of The Visitor was new stuff-- and while I don't know what I've missed, nor would I know if any of The Visitor was not as it is, what was presented in #1 seemed suitable and series-setting. & all that said, as a Kane/Burglar Bill/Jack Staff/Mudman/ fan, (with, if I may boast, 3 original pages from Jack Staff on my wall), I was quite happy with Grist's drawing.

[Kees_L]

I think everyone should read and enjoy what they read how they like. But if we're gonna talk 'poor execution' of what'll be the first installment of five, then I must decline, or bolt.
Or maybe I mustn't.

But I don't think I'm gonna agree that at this time this first issue objectively must be considered 'poorly executed'. Eventhough I personally haven't read it yet but intend to.

I also won't be believing Paul Grist somehow shouldn't have drawn it, since it appears he (and no other) was specifically intended to be taking care of this.
Call me crazy but I'm thinking I may come to be enjoying it. I kind of dig what I've seen already.

Plus now that Roberson has been part of the crew as co-writer/co-plotter, as how basically anybody on this team may have meant particular new opportunities, I opt to not dismiss any such merely of my own accord or off-handedly. I see no reason to. No reason whatsoever.

Reading and especially re-reading experiences are or should be extraordinary both as potentially daring experiences. I don't need reassurance or set preconceptions for such or else I'd demand my money back or buy nothing anymore.
And I'm pretty cheap as it is.

For books or "entertainment" I've never ever needed to ask my money back, and I'm not about to start. I declined on a fish I got at a restaurant once and they prepared me a different one at no charge on the spot. But that's different, that's standard practice in case of fish.
And we're not talking about fish here. I believe it was trout.

[thwhtGuardian]

Well?

I thought this was alright. It's mostly scenes we've already seen, cutting to a panel of The Visitor being there in the shadows. Which, fine, that's exactly what this book said it would be, but we didn't really get much in the way of what The Visitor was thinking, just that he was physically present.

The real problem for me was basically retelling The Nature of the Beast in a truncated shot for shot remake. Dialog and all. (actually, feels like 90% of the dialog is all old dialog) It's fine up to a point, but Grist didn't need to redraw the entire fight. We've seen that and Mignola did it right the first time. You're not improving that story, and you're not adding anything to it except a few shots of The Visitor being there... and then a few sentences at the end basically saying what he said at the fucking beginning of the issue. That was frustratingly dumb.

I dunno, I think the poor execution of a good idea let it fall down a bit. Half the book is a cover band. Half the book is good. But if this is five issues of just retelling **** Mignola already did, I don't see the point. I hope the next issue spends more time on the why stayed, instead of simply that he stayed and observed silently.

Exactly this.
If they had done a few short panels of the Visitor observing key moments in Hellboy's life to establish that hey, he was there I would have been okay with that as a narrative device in starting the story going....but we got a whole issue of that with little to no new content and at that point the device was well past being worn thin. If the second issue doesn't drastically change it's focus and pacing this may end up being the only Mignola project that I ever decided to skip.